Letter From Birmingham Jail Analysis
Although the two essays were written during two very different times, there is a great deal of similarities between Henry David Thoreau’s “Resistance to Civil Government” and
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” The style, technique, and reason that each author used were intentional towards their cause.
During the middle of the 1840’s, abolitionist Henry Thoreau was placed in jail for refusing to pay a poll tax. He wouldn’t agree to a tax that he believed supported slavery and spent his evening in prison writing the famous “Resistance to Civil Government” essay. Mr.
Thoreau did not act out or become violent in any way. The intent of his civil disobedience was to protest unjust laws in a way that makes the government question …show more content…
It’s not necessarily a call to fight against the law, or even a call to take any action. It’s a call to reason. Henry Thoreau is asking everyone to think about intently about what it is they’re doing and consider its true significance.
Martin Luther King, Jr. wore a similar pair of shoes over a century later. He was the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, working at the headquarters in
Atlanta, Georgia. An affiliated worker in Birmingham asked if Martin would join in civil disobedience to protest the unjust laws against blacks, to which MLK fully agreed. He, along with other protesters, was thrown into jail for their actions. Mr. King then began to write his response to the other white leaders in the area. The letter talked about his beliefs and why he acted the way he had, saying “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Martin
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” The style, technique, and reason that each author used were intentional towards their cause.
During the middle of the 1840’s, abolitionist Henry Thoreau was placed in jail for refusing to pay a poll tax. He wouldn’t agree to a tax that he believed supported slavery and spent his evening in prison writing the famous “Resistance to Civil Government” essay. Mr.
Thoreau did not act out or become violent in any way. The intent of his civil disobedience was to protest unjust laws in a way that makes the government question …show more content…
It’s not necessarily a call to fight against the law, or even a call to take any action. It’s a call to reason. Henry Thoreau is asking everyone to think about intently about what it is they’re doing and consider its true significance.
Martin Luther King, Jr. wore a similar pair of shoes over a century later. He was the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, working at the headquarters in
Atlanta, Georgia. An affiliated worker in Birmingham asked if Martin would join in civil disobedience to protest the unjust laws against blacks, to which MLK fully agreed. He, along with other protesters, was thrown into jail for their actions. Mr. King then began to write his response to the other white leaders in the area. The letter talked about his beliefs and why he acted the way he had, saying “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Martin